boxelder pouchgall mite

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Boxelder pouchgall mite is 7 ⁄1000″ (180 microns) long, about as long as a human hair is wide, and 21 ⁄10000″ (55 microns) wide. The human eye cannot see particles smaller than 50 to 60 microns, so this mite is probably invisible to most people. It is most easily identified by the type of growth (gall) it produces and the plant species on which it is found.

Boxelder pouchgall mite is found exclusively on boxelder (Acer negundo). In the spring, the mite forms a hollow, dull tan or gray pocket on the under surface of the leaf. The pocket is covered with a mass of felty whitish hairs. On the upper surface, it appears as an irregular, blister-like bump. The galls are solitary, though there are usually many galls on a single leaf.

Total length: 7 ⁄1000″ (180 microns)

Boxelder

Spring through fall

Sources

Order
Until recently, herbivorous mites in Superfamily Eriophyoidea were included in Order Trombidiformes. Morphological and molecular DNA analyses in 2017, 2020, and 2023 found that they are evolutionarily distinct, and they should now be included in Order Sarcoptiformes. However, disagreement remains about the correct ranking between Superfamily Eriophyoidea and Subclass Acari. The ranking on this page follows iNaturalist.